29 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

İnscriptions in Turkey is Showing How Romans Tackled İnflation

The largest marble city in the world, located in western Turkey in the province of Muğla, draws attention with large inscriptions depicting traces of various civilizations on the wall of the 2,000-year-old city council hall, also known as bouleuterion.

Stratonikeia, located in the Yatağan district of Muğla, has been home to many civilizations throughout its history and is listed on the temporary World Heritage List by UNESCO. It is one of the largest marble cities in the world. Since 1977, excavation work has continued.

This ancient city was influenced by the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Anatolian beyliks (main periods), and it continued to play an important role in the Ottoman and Republican eras.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Bilal Söğüt, the head of the Stratonikeia excavations, said that there are Latin inscriptions on the outer part of the northern walls of the bouleuterion in Stratonikeia, Greek inscriptions on the inner side of the same wall, and Ottoman inscriptions on the outer part of the Southern Wall.

He noted that one of the inscriptions in Greek that dates back to the Hellenistic period is a calendar.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



He explained that the calendar was made by Manippos, a native of Stratonikeia and that it was used to mark the days over the 12 months of the year in 1505, adding that: “If we were using this calendar, we would have been around 3500s.”

The Latin inscriptions, meanwhile, show what goods were sold in Stratonikeia in the Roman period and their price ceiling about 1720 years ago.

A Latin inscription in the ancient city of Stratonikeia.
A Latin inscription in the ancient city of Stratonikeia. Photo: AA

“To keep inflation under control, a price ceiling list was regulated,” Söğüt said.

Noting that the list including more than 200 products is an indicator that the society at the time was attempting to tackle inflation, he added: “In fact, the system in which producers and consumers were supported at that time is directly mentioned here.”

“This inscription is also very important for us in terms of the large area it covers. We preserve the most beautiful example of the inscription in Anatolia, which covers an area of approximately 23 square meters (248 square feet). The whole inscription stands on the walls of the city council hall,” he told.

He emphasized that careful works were carried out to unearth these inscriptions.

The Bouleuterion in the center of the city was built along the east-west direction and has a rectangular plane. According to architectural elements and decorations, the history of the building can be traced back to the second half of the first century BC.

The Stratonikeia, which has hosted many civilizations from antiquity to the present day, is one of the most important archaeological sites in Asia Minor and has unique features.

Cover Photo: AA

Related Articles

Archaeologists identify a sunken Nabataean temple dedicated to the God Dusares at Pozzuoli

12 April 2023

12 April 2023

Off the coast of Pozzuoli on the Phlegrean Peninsula in Campania, Italy, underwater archaeologists have identified a sunken Nabataeans temple...

2,000-Year-Old Roman Hippodrome Discovered Beneath a Former Landfill in Kayseri

24 October 2025

24 October 2025

In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough, researchers in central Türkiye have confirmed the discovery of a 2,000-year-old Roman hippodrome (Roman Circus)...

1,500-year-old feast mosaic found in Turkey

2 February 2022

2 February 2022

A 50-square-meter mosaic depicting an open-air feast dating back 1,500 years ago was unearthed during excavations in the ancient city...

Stunning carved stone depicting a mystery naked horseman is discovered at the Roman fort of Vindolanda

30 June 2021

30 June 2021

Near Hadrian’s Wall in northern England, archaeologists discovered a carved sandstone slab portraying a naked horseman. During the annual excavations...

Ancient Roman Road with Porticoes and Rare Artifacts Discovered in Switzerland

6 May 2025

6 May 2025

A major rescue excavation in Kaiseraugst, northern Switzerland, has revealed a substantial Roman road complete with porticoes, alongside poignant infant...

Archaeologists found a 2,000-year-old Roman road in Cluj-Napoca in northwest Romania

23 January 2023

23 January 2023

Archaeologists from the National Museum of the History of Transylvania have discovered a well-preserved 2,000-year-old Roman road in the city...

In Russia, archaeologists 2100-Year-Old Medallion of Goddess Aphrodite and a warrior tomb unearthed

30 October 2022

30 October 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed a silver medallion depicting the Greek goddess Aphrodite (Roma Venüs) in a 2100-year-old grave of a priestess...

9,300-year-old Gre Filla Mound in southeastern Turkey to be relocated

20 September 2022

20 September 2022

While public criticism continues due to the fact that Gre Filla, known as Diyarbakır’s Göbeklitepe, is under the dam, Diyarbakır...

Central Turkey’s largest Byzantine mosaic structure found

28 October 2021

28 October 2021

A 300-square-meter (3,330 square feet) ​floor mosaic belonging to the Late Roman-Early Byzantine period was discovered during excavation work in...

Metal signature of Roman 19th Legion identified at Teutoburg battle site that shook Rome in AD9

5 December 2022

5 December 2022

Researchers in Germany have identified the metallurgic signature of the Roman 19th Legion in artifacts recovered from the Battle of...

The impressive Statue of young Hercules unearthed in Philippi, Northern Greece

24 September 2022

24 September 2022

A larger-than-life youthful Hercules statue dating to the 2nd century A.D. have been found in the ancient city of Philippi...

Precious Roman Gem Engraved with Mythological Figure Discovered in Italian Lagoon

8 August 2023

8 August 2023

During excavations at Lio Piccolo (Cavallino-Treporti), conducted by Ca’ Foscari University, a precious agate stone carved with a mythological figure...

Centuries-old burials discovered near Antandros Ancient City in Turkey

10 January 2022

10 January 2022

Ancient tombs were discovered during a foundation excavation at a building site near the ancient city of Antandros, which is...

USF team discovers 2,000-year-old Roman house during excavation in Malta

8 August 2023

8 August 2023

A team of researchers and students unearthed a 2,000-year-old Roman house in Malta, complete with a waste disposal system and...

A rare 2,500-year-old shipwreck found off the Greek island of Kythera

5 November 2021

5 November 2021

A rare shipwreck from the ancient era was discovered during the maritime survey for the Crete-Peloponnese subsea link. The Independent...